The present disclosure relates to a method for processing a free-flowing product, the method steps include: providing at least one separator having a vertical axis of rotation, a rotatable centrifugal drum, and a plate, or disk, assembly arranged in the drum; supplying the free-flowing product into the drum; separating one or more of a solid phase and at least two liquid phases from the free-flowing product; discharging one or more of the at least two liquid phases and the solid phase out of the drum. The present disclosure also relates to a centrifuge, in particular a separator. The separator includes: a separator drum having a vertical axis of rotation, at least one inflow to supply a product to be processed, at least a first outflow to discharge at least one liquid phase, and at least a second outflow to discharge a second liquid phase or a solids phase.
In separators having plate, or disk, assemblies, the separation of particles from a liquid or from volume streams occurs in the intermediate spaces of the plates, or disks, the so-called plate, or disk, gaps, under stationary conditions. This present disclosure relates to embodiments to optimize this mode of operation.
Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved method for processing a liquid, and the embodiments also relate to a centrifuge which allows more effective processing of a liquid.
The present disclosure thus provides for a method for processing a free-flowing product. The method steps include: providing at least one separator having a vertical axis of rotation, a rotatable centrifugal drum, and a plate, or disk, assembly arranged in the drum; supplying the free-flowing product into the drum; separating one or more of a solid, or solids, phase and at least two liquid phases from the free-flowing product; discharging one or more of the at least two liquid phases and the solid phase out of the drum; and wherein the supplying of the free-flowing product occurs in one of a continuous and a discontinuous cyclic volume stream. The present disclosure also relates to a separator, the separator including a separator drum having a vertical axis of rotation, at least one inflow to supply a product to be processed, at least a first outflow to discharge at least one liquid phase, and at least a second outflow to discharge a second liquid phase or a solid or solids, phase; and a device for one of a continuous and a discontinuous cycling of an inflowing of a product volume stream into the separator drum.
According to the present disclosure, the method for processing, or for clarifying, a liquid using at least one separator, or centrifuge, which at least one centrifuge works in continuous operation. The at least one centrifuge, or separator, includes a plate, or disk, assembly. The method comprises at least the following steps:                supplying a free-flowing product into the centrifuge drum,        separating a solid, or solids, phase out of the liquid and/or separating the liquid into a plurality of liquid phases and/or one solid, or solids, phase, and discharging the liquid phase or phases and/or the solid, or solids phase out of the centrifuge drum,        wherein the supply of the product to be processed occurs in a continuous or a discontinuous cyclic volume stream.        
Due to the cyclic supply of the product to be processed into the centrifuge drum, a cyclic inflow stream is produced in the plate, or disk, gaps or the intermediate spaces between the plates, or disk, in the centrifuge. Thus, in the respective plate, or disk, gap a fluctuating volume stream is formed or a volume stream which is temporarily reduced starting from a maximum and/or it completely comes to a stop. “Cyclic” means that the inflow stream is repeatedly changed “again and again a plurality of times or multiple times”, and either with constant cyclic frequency per unit of time or not with constant cyclic frequency. Nonetheless, the frequency is a plurality of times per unit of time T1, for example, 1 minute or 1 second.
In the low-flow or flow-free time intervals, the slipping of the deposited particles off of the plate, or disk, surface into the drum interior is promoted.
A product volume V1 may, for example, be supplied over a period of time T1 of defined length, wherein the supply of the product to be processed is performed in cyclic operation in such a manner that the product volume V1 conducted into the drum per period of time T1 does not change or remains constant in relation to a supply in the non-cyclic operation. This is advantageous, for example, since overall the processing speed is not reduced in relation to non-cyclic operation but nonetheless the advantages of cyclic operation are utilized.
Furthermore, it is particularly expedient if the supply of the product to be processed is performed in a cyclic manner such that an increase and decrease of the inflow stream around a mean value occurs as a function of the time, for example, such that the inflow stream is not completely interrupted in cyclic operation.
It is known from WO 2005/065835 A1 that to avoid clogs of the flow paths of a separator during the separation of milk into cream and skim milk, the concentration of the fat content of an outflowing product phase is ascertained and the partition zone is shifted by a short-term change of the operating parameters such as the inflow performance, if a limiting value is exceeded. The inflow performance is only increased for a short time once in this case, however, if a clog occurs. That is, only in the exceptional case if a limiting value is exceeded.
In addition, in a centrifuge having a closed housing, performing the supply of the product under pressure intermittently while simultaneously closing the discharge line of the liquid is known from DE 566 199 PA. This is also used to loosen clogs. In contrast to the embodiments of the present disclosure, however, the discharge line is closed during the intermittent supply. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the diameter of the discharge line for the liquid phase or phases remains unchanged, in contrast. That is, the supplied product volume stream is cyclically supplied, without the discharge line or lines for the liquid phase or phases being closed or additionally throttled. This is because according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the changed deposition behavior in the plate gap is used, wherein no cycling of the product discharge is necessary.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed further herein and in the appended claims.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.